Talk:Lincoln Memorial/Sandbox
Lincoln Memorial | |
U.S. National Memorial | |
Greek Revival | |
Visitation | 3,639,000 (2005) |
---|---|
NRHP reference No. | 66000030[1] |
Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th
The building is in the form of a Greek
Like other monuments on the National Mall – including the nearby
History
The Lincoln Memorial, designed after the
Abraham Lincoln has long stood in the minds of the American people as a symbol of honesty, integrity, and humanity. Although a national monument to him was not raised until the 20th century, demands for a fitting memorial had been voiced since the time of his death. In 1867,
The matter lay dormant until the turn of the century, when, under the leadership of
With Congressional approval and a $300,000 allocation, the project got underway. On February 12, 1914, an inauspicious dedication ceremony was conducted and following month the actual construction began. Work progressed steadily according to schedule. However a few changes did have to be made. The statue of Lincoln, originally designed to be 10 feet (3.0 m) tall, was later enlarged to 19 feet (5.8 m) to prevent it from being dwarfed by its huge chamber. As late as 1920, the decision was made to substitute an open portal for the bronze and glass grille which was to have guarded the entrance. Despite these changes, the Memorial was finished on schedule. In a May Day celebration in 1922, Commission president William H. Taft dedicated the Memorial and presented it to President Warren G. Harding, who accepted it for the American people.[3]
The Memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 24, 1981.[4]
Exterior
The exterior of the Memorial echos a classic
Above the colonnade, inscribed on the
The Memorial is anchored in a concrete foundation, 44 to 66 feet (13 to 20 m) in depth, constructed by M. F. Comer and Company and the National Foundation and Engineering Company, and is encompassed by a 187-by-257-foot (57 by 78 m) rectangular granite retaining wall measuring 14 feet (4.3 m) in height.[5]
Leading up to the shrine on the east side are the main steps. Beginning at the edge of the Reflecting Pool, the steps rise to the Lincoln Memorial Circle roadway surrounding the edifice, then to the main portal, intermittently spaced with a series of platforms. Flanking the steps as they approach the entrance are two buttresses each crowned with an 11-foot (3.4 m) tall tripod carved from pink Tennessee marble.[5]
Interior
The interior of the Memorial is divided into three chambers by two rows of
Above each of the inscriptions is a 60-by-12-foot (18.3 by 3.7 m) mural painted by
The ceiling of the Memorial, 60 feet (18 m) above the floor, is composed of bronze girders, ornamented with laurel and oak leaves. Between the girders are panels of Alabama marble, saturated with paraffin to increase their translucency. Despite the increased light from this device, Bacon and French felt the statue required even more light. They decided upon an artificial lighting system in which a louvered lighting panel would be set in the ceiling with metal slats to conceal the great floodlights. Custodians could adjust the lights from a control room varying them according to the outside light. Funds for this expensive system were appropriated by Congress in 1926, and in 1929, seven years after the dedication, the statue was properly lighted. Since that time, only one major alteration has taken place in the Memorial's design. This was the addition of an elevator within the structure to aid handicapped visitors, which was installed in the mid-1970s.[6]
Statue
IN THIS TEMPLE |
Epitaph above Abraham Lincoln
|
Lying between the north and south chambers is the central hall containing the solitary figure of Lincoln sitting in contemplation. The statue was carved by the Piccirilli Brothers under the supervision of the sculptor, Daniel Chester French, and took four years to complete. The statue, originally intended to be only 10 feet (3.0 m) tall, was, on further consideration, enlarged so that it finally stood 19 feet (5.8 m) tall from head to foot, the scale being such that if Lincoln were standing, he would be 28 feet (8.5 m) tall. The extreme width of the statue is the same as its height. The Georgia white marble sculpture weighs 175 short tons (159 t) and had to be shipped in 28 separate pieces.[6]
The statue rests upon an oblong pedestal of Tennessee marble 10 feet (3.0 m) high, 16 feet (4.9 m) wide, and 17 feet (5.2 m) deep. Directly beneath this lies a platform of Tennessee marble about 34.5 feet (10.5 m) long, 28 feet (8.5 m) wide, and 6.5 inches (0.17 m) high. The statue is subtly bordered by two pilasters, one on each side. Between these pilasters and above Lincoln's head stands the engraved epitaph,[6] composed by Royal Cortissoz, shown in the box to the left.[7]
Notable happenings
In 1939, the
On August 28, 1963, the memorial grounds were the site of one of the greatest political rallies in history, the
On May 9, 1970, President
The Memorial today
Today, over 3.6 million people visit the memorial annually.[citation needed] In 2007, the Memorial was ranked seventh in the List of America's Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects.[11] The Memorial is open to the public 24 hours a day and is free to visit.
Depictions on U.S. currency
From 1959 to 2008, the Lincoln Memorial was shown on the reverse of the
The memorial also appears on the back of the U.S. five dollar bill, the front of which also bears Lincoln's portrait.
See also
- List of areas in the United States National Park System
- National Register of Historic Places listings in the District of Columbia
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ a b c NRHP Nomination, p. 4
- ^ NRHP Nomination, p. 5
- ^ NRHP Nomination, p. 6
- ^ a b c d e NRHP Nomination, p. 2
- ^ a b c d NRHP Nomination, p. 3
- ^ "Lincoln Memorial Design Individuals". National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
- ^ Jennings, Peter; Brewster, Todd. The Century. Doubleday, 1998
- ^ Italie, Hillel (April 23, 2009). "Lincoln Memorial a temple of respect, hope". The San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ http://www.timesrepublican.com/page/content.detail/id/514444.html?nav=5005
- ^ "America's Favorite Architecture". American Institute of Architects. 2007. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
Bibliography
- NRHP Nomination: Pfanz, Donald C. (1981-03-24). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form: Lincoln Memorial". National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
External links
[[Category:Monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C.]] [[Category:Abraham Lincoln]] [[Category:National Memorials of the United States]] [[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C.]] [[Category:1922 architecture]] [[Category:Greek Revival architecture in Washington, D.C.]] [[Category:National Mall]] [[Category:Buildings and monuments honoring American Presidents]]